


Impulse

by Morgyn Leri (morgynleri)



Series: Fairytales & Nightmares: Human Doctor [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, GFY, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-18
Updated: 2014-01-18
Packaged: 2018-01-09 05:20:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1141943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgynleri/pseuds/Morgyn%20Leri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She followed impulse rather than thinking it through.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Impulse

It felt odd to walk with him, fingers wound through his as they ambled along the strand. The sky a deep blue so dark it was nearly black, stars just starting to appear, nothing but the waves and the comfortable quiet between them. Comfortable, at least, on his end. She could tell without looking that he was grinning, probably thinking about how one goes about proposing to the head of a major government agency.

Breaking it to him that she didn't feel the same, that she couldn't possibly accept his courtship... she wasn't sure how to do that. Hadn't been sure for the last several months, when he kept coming in for coffee at the same shop she liked to buy her coffee from when she was in London. Talked to her like she was a normal person, flirted badly and without the embarrassment most would find in that.

She hadn't even been able to tell him no when he asked her if she wanted to take a day at the shore. Just a little holiday, catch the last train back to London in the evening. Maybe it had been the eager expression on his face, the light that sparked behind brown eyes.

How would she explain to Koschei that she'd gotten tangled up in Theta's life here? How would she explain to Theta when he opened the watch why she hadn't tried to encourage him to open it sooner, when she had realized he was pulling himself out of the state that Koschei had found him in?

"You're thinking about work again, aren't you?" His question startled her, and she looked over at him with a laugh and a smile that were practiced tools to hide behind. "You get this little line between your brows when you're lost in thought," he added, reaching up his free hand to trace the line with a long finger. "It's cute."

"Sorry." She shrugged, looking back at the stretch of sand in front of them. "It's hard to stop thinking about what could be going wrong while I'm away. What probably _is_ going wrong. It always happens when the kids are left on their own." She smiled, flicking a sideways look at him. It was a surprise that trouble hadn't found him yet, though that could be partly due to the fact Koschei hadn't been back since he left a newly-human Theta in his London flat with a life she'd set up for him.

"I'm sure they're fine." He swung their hands a moment, grinning at her, trying to coax her to smile. "You can't be there to watch them all the time."

Actually, she could, at least all the hours she was awake, but she'd drive Cooper up the wall with her hovering if she did. "Maybe not." She shrugged again, keeping her gaze on the beach, and not letting herself respond too much to his encouragement. There had to be a way to let him down gently, even after all this time.

"What's wrong?" He stopped, tugging her to a halt next to him, trying to get her to turn to face him. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No." Donna met his gaze after a moment, studying him for a long moment before she fished into her pocket. Retrieving the watch Koschei had entrusted to her. Trying not to think about what Koschei might say when he found out she'd done this. "I just... wanted to give you this."

"A watch?" He reached out to take it, his expression brightening now that he thought he'd figured it out. Long fingers folding around it, thumb brushing over the release for the catch a moment before he went to put in his pocket.

"Why don't you look at it? I had the cover specially done, inside and out." The lie tasted bitter on her tongue, but she smiled, silently encouraging him to just open it, let himself become the Time Lord he was again. "Koschei does beautiful artwork, doesn't he?"

The puzzled frown that passed over his face a moment almost made her wince, but she just kept watching him, waiting until he nodded, pressing the button firmly, the latch letting go...

His scream would stay with her for the rest of her life, and she reached to catch him as he nearly collapsed to the sand, letting him down gently. She didn't think it would hurt nearly that much, and silently cursed her decision to do this now. The impulse to give him the watch instead of simply telling John Smith she didn't really feel 'that way' about him.

"Koschei's going to kill me if you do something stupid on me, Doctor." She tapped his cheek, glaring at him until he opened his eyes again. "Are you all there?"

"Why did you do that?" Theta's eyes were dark with a pain that Donna winced to see. "I was happy."

"You were living a lie, and I wasn't thinking." Donna pushed him up into a sitting position. "And maybe now Koschei will get his sorry arse back from wherever and whenever he's sulking at."

Theta ran a hand through his hair, a bitter laugh emerging from him. "Koschei died to save the universe. I don't think he's sulking somewhere."

Donna narrowed her eyes a moment before smacking Theta across the back of his head. The indignant squawk he gave her was gratifying, and she smiled brightly at him a moment. "If you had even a grain of common sense, you'd maybe think to reach out after a comment like that. Or the whole bit about 'Koschei does beautiful artwork'? Do you think I meant some Russian artist?"

Rubbing the back of his head, Theta glared at her a moment before he took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Remaining almost entirely still for several long minutes. Donna was about to see if he'd react to her poking him when she heard a familiar sound, watching with amusement as what looked like the most absurd pavillion she'd ever seen materialized up the beach, fading after a moment into nothing more than an elaborate sand castle.

"She really does have a sense of humour," murmured Donna as she climbed to her feet, brushing sand off her bum as she waited for Koschei to come out of the TARDIS.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Prompt:** Blue
> 
> Originally posted 22 November 2009 on LiveJournal.


End file.
